Crankcase flusher



f F. E. wlLsoN GRANK cAsE FLUSHER sept; 25, 1945. 7

Filed March 13. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 25, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention pertains to apparatus for and method of automobile crank and gear case servicing, and more particularly to a power washing and flushing apparatus, wherein cleansing fluid is discharged into an engine crank case or the like under pressure and in a more or less volatilized condition.

It is found in practice although ilowing kerosene, light oil, or other cleansing uid into and out of the crank case does remove accumulated sludge and residue of oil therefrom, it docs not reach the vital parts of theengine and fails to dislodge adherent particles of grit, gum and foreign material. To overcome the difculty and enable thorough cleansing of remote surfaces and crevices, the present apparatus is adapted to discharge the cleansing fluid thoroughly intermixed with air under relatively high pressure, whereby a considerable portion of the cleansing material is forcibly discharged inside the crank case cavity in a line mist or as a vapor. Such mist or vapor being driven under pressure into the minute recesses of the engine loosens the adherent matter which is then washed from the chamber by the more liquid portions of the discharged cleansing fluid.

By the present apparatus and method of operation the cleansing fluid drawn from a supply reservoir is discharged into a crank case or differential housing under high pressure while intermixed with a relatively large quantity of air also under pressure, and the spent cleansing fluid is drained back to the supply reservoir through a suitable filter, by which the fluid is reconditioned for further use. The i'luid ls discharged through an extendible and retractible discharge conduit positioned coincident with a return drain passage. whereby the unit, which is portable, may be conveniently positioned beneath an automobile for the simultaneous discharge and return of the cleansing iiuid through a single opening inthe crank case or differential housing.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction, as well as the means'and mode of operation of automobile servicing units. whereby they may not only be economically constructed and conveniently operated, but will be more eilicient in use, automatic in operation, uniform in action, having relatively few operating parts, and

unlikely to get out of repair.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable cleansing and ushing assembly which will be compact in form and easily moved from place to place.

A further object of the invention isto provide an improved mode of operation of automobile servicing units by entraining a high pressure air supply with a high pressure supply of cleansing Y fluid, and causing a considerable portion of the cleansing fluid to be forcibly discharged in a partially volatilized or finely sub-divided mist or vapor.

A further object of the invention is to enable flushing and cleansing of remote surfaces and otherwise inaccessible crevices and recesses of the engine structure which may be beyond range of the usual direct stream of liquid cleanser.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automobile servicing unit which possesses the advantageous structural features and inherent meritorious characteristics of the present unit cooperating in the manner and mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specication, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features .servicing unit incorporating the present inven tion.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the unit with the cabinet broken away to display the power pumping and conduit assembly.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 aredetail views of interchangeable discharge nozzles of different shapes.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

It is generally recognized that much grit and road dust is drawn into automobile motors through the air intake to the carburetor or fuel supply system and through the breather vent or oil iiller opening, notwithstanding various forms of air iilters in common use. Furthermore, much iine metallic grit accumulates from the wearing in of bearing surfaces, especially in new cars. Also, adherent gummy substance accumulates in the casings. Much ol' such foreign material col- -pipe l5, through a multi-way valve I6. communicating with the discharge pipe lects in remote crevices and pockets, which are inaccessible or out of range under ordinary flushing and cleansing methods.

By the present method of operation, wherein cleansing fluid and air, both under relatively high pressure, are simultaneously discharged in an intermixed or entrained condition, the fluid enters the crank case or housing in the form of a dense white fog or mist, whichpenetrates in all directions into remote recesses which are out of range of a discharged stream of cleanser. By condensing upon such otherwise inaccessible surfaces, such-areas are washed and cleaned much more thoroughly than can be accomplished by discharging a, solid stream of cleansing fluid into the chamber.

Referring to the drawings, I indicates a portion of an automobile, of which 2 is the crank case of the motor partly broken away. The crank case has in its bottom the customary drain outlet 3. The vehicle is shown in elevated position upon a conventional hoist or lift rack ll, which enables convenient access to the under portion of the vehicle. The present servicing unit is adapted to be positioned beneath the elevated vehicle, and is enclosed in a cabinet 5 mounted on casters 6, except the discharge ,outlet and collector which project from the top of the cabinet.

The lower portion of the cabinet 5 forms a supply reservoir .'I for cleansing fluid. The power pump and associated conduits are contained in a compartment 8 in the upper portion of the cabinet. Extending upwardly from the supply reservoir 'I within the cabinet is a suction pipe 9 connected through a horizontal pipe I and down pipe I l (see Fig. 4) with the intake side of a rotary pump I2. The pump I2 is driven by an electric motor I3. It discharges upwardly through the pipe I4, which communicates with a horizontal Also i through the valve IS is an air supply pipe I connected by a flexible hose IS outside the cabinet, with an external source of air under pressure. In.the usual automobile service station, this air supply is the same source of air under pressure which is used for tire inflation purpose and for operating the hoist in the event the latter is of the pneumatic type. If such air supply is not of suicient pressure, a separate high pressure air source may be provided or a booster air pump may be installed to increase the air pressure to the present unit. The air supplied under pressure through the conduit I9 and pipe it is inter-mixed with the cleansing fluid supplied under pressure from the pump I2 through the pipe Id, and become entrained with each other as they pass through the pipe I 5. The pipe I5 for passage of the intermixture of air and cleansing fluid under pressure is connected through flexibly joined pipe sections and 2l with an upstanding discharge pipe 22, to the upper end of which is attached a suitable nozzle 23. By means of a series of exible joints 2li, connecting the pipe sections 20 and 2| with the supply pipe I5 and the discharge pipe` 22, the latter is capable of vertical adjustment through a considerable range of aligned movement by which it may be thrust into and withdrawn from the drain opening 3 in the bottom of a motor crank case beneath which the unit is positioned.

The upright discharge pipe extends through a telescopic tubular drain standard projecting from the top of the unit 5 and carrying at its top a bowl shaped drain receptacle or funnel 26 surrounding the discharge pipe and above, which aseascs the latter projects. The telescopic sections of the drain standard 25 are engageable in adjusted relation by a thumb screw 2l. The lower end of the telescopic drain standard 25 communicates with a filter box 28 suspended in the top of the cabinet beside the pumping unit compartment. 'I'he bottom of the filter box 28 is perforated at 29 and within the compartment 28 are a number of layers of felt 30 or a bed of granular filter material through which the returning cleansing fluid percolates into the supply compartment.'

When in use, the unit is positioned beneath an elevated motor vehicle as illustrated in Fig. 1 and the drain standard is adjusted so that the receptacle 26 at its top is adjacent'the under side of the crank case and immediately beneath the drain outlet 3. The upright discharge pipe 22 is pulled upwardly, which adjustment is enabled by flexing of the joints 24%, until the nozzle carried thereby is thrust through the drain outlet 3 intothe interior of the crank case 2. By operation oi.' the motor driven pump the cleansing fluid and entrained air under pressure is forcibly discharged into the crank case. As before mentioned, a considerable portion of the cleansing fluid will be Vaporized and will circulate within the crank casing as a mist or fog, which penetrates crevices and recesses and loosens and displaces foreign matter, while the remainder of the liquid discharged in a more or less solid stream washes the sidesand bottom of the crank casing to remove the debris, sediment and sludge. The condensate and surplus cleaning fluid in liquid form drains out of the casing through the opening 3 around the discharge pipe 22 into the receptacle 26 and thence into the filter compartment 28. All fine material and sludge collects on the filter bed 30 while the reconditioned fluid percolates through the filter bed into the supply compartment l for re-use.

In order that the present servicing unit may optionally be used other than for flushing crank cases, as for example,emptying, flushing and subsequently refilling differential and transmission housings, branch suction and discharge conduits 3i and 32 are connected with the pump intake and discharge conduits I I and I l through the multi-way valves 33 and IB. These branch conduits project through the side of the cabinet 5 and are connected with corresponding flexible hose continuations 3I and 32. When it is desired to empty a differential housing of spent lubricant, the conduit 3i' is introduced into the housing, and the multi-way valves are adjusted to connect the branch suction conduit 3'I with they pump intake II and disconnect the pipe I0, and to correspondingly connect the branch discharge conduit 32 with the pump outlet I4 and simultaneously disconnect the pipe I5. The operation of the pump I2 will then withdraw the grease from the differential housing through the conduits 31', 3| and II to the pump which will discharge it into any convenient receptacle through the conduits I 4, 32 and 32. When the differential housing has been emptied and it is desired to flush and cleanse it, the valve 33 is adjusted to again connect the suction side of the pump I2 through the pipes I I, Ill and 9 with the supply reservoir I of cleansing fluid. The spent cleansing fluid will be drained into the receptacle 26 and returned to the filter compartment. In lieu thereof, the discharge pipe 22 or a hose connected therewith may be introduced into the diierentlal or transmission housing, in which event the valve I6 is adjusted to shut oi the branch conduit 32 intermixed with each other in the nozzle.

and connect the outlet I4 with the pipe I-5 as before described. When it is desired to relll the thoroughly cleaned differential and transmission housings with fresh lubricant, the valves I6 and 33 are again adjusted to connect the branch conduit 3`|3l with the suction side of the pump and the branch conduit 32-32 with its discharge side. The auxiliary conduit 3| is then-inserted in a lubricant supply receptacle and the'conduit 32 is introduced into the housing. Fresh lubricant is thus pumped directly from the lubricant supply into the housing. The valves I6 and 33 are adjustable from the exterior of the cabinet by means of the handles i6' and 33". Various shapes and sizes of nozzles may be employed upon the respective conduits 22, 3|', and 32'. In lieu of supplying air under pressure through the conduit i8 for intermixture with the cleansing fluid, a mixer nozzle 34 may be provided upon the upright discharge conduit 22 or on a hose connected therewith, having axially disposed therein a shorter nozzle 35 of smaller diameter connected laterally with a supply conduit 36 of air under pressure. In such arrangement the cleansing iluid and the air both under.

pressure would be simultaneously discharged and The relation of cleansing fluid and air discharge may be reversed and the former discharged through the inner nozzle and the latter in concentric relation thereabout through the larger nozzle tube.

While grit, ner particles of foreign matter and sludge are removed from the returned cleansing uid and collected by the filter 3D, larger bits of metal, stones, hard carbon and the like are intercepted by a screen diaphragm 26 within the collecting bowl 26 from which 'they are easily removed. For supplying current to the actuating motor l2, a plurality of socket connections 3l for conventional electrical terminal plugs are provided in the cabinet. These sockets are connected in multiple with the motor and with each other, whereby an electrical supply cable plugged into either of the sockets 31 will supply current to the motor and will also supply current to a. portable lamp, blower, air compressor, or other auxiliary electrical apparatus, the supply cable of which may be connected into either of the other sockets 3l.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of ,modlfication in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as tostructural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but lthat the means i ing to and from the power pump, including branch intake and branch dischargevconduits to I which the power pump is common, and adjustable valves controlling the interconnection of various branch conduits with the suction and discharge 'conduits communicating with the pump,

including a suction branch conduit connectablel with a mechanism chamber of an automobile for exhausting spent lubricant therefrom and discharging the exhausted lubricant through a branch discharge conduit to waste, a suction branch conduit communicating upon corresponding adjustment of the valves With a source of supply of cleansing fluid from which cleansing fluid is drawn for discharge by the power pump through a branch discharge conduit other than that before mentioned into the mechanism chamber from which the lubricant was before exhausted, and an air supply conduit communicating with the last mentioned branch discharge conduit for intermixing air under pressure with the cleansing uid passing therethrough for discharge in an atomized condition into the mechanism chamber of the automobile to be cleaned, the adjustment of said valves enabling the rst mentioned suction branch conduitand discharge branch conduit to be again interconnected for delivering fresh lubricant from a source of supply thereof into the mechanism chamber from which the spent lubricant was before exhausted through the same branch conduits, and into which the aerated cleansing uid has previously been discharged through the other said valve interconnected branch conduits, said reinterconnection of the rst mentioned suction and discharge branch conduits by adjustment of said valves for purpose of supplying fresh lubricant to the mechanism chamber being also preparatory to removal of spent lubricant from a succeeding mechanism chamber of an automobile.

2. An automobile servicing system, including a cleansing iluid storage compartment, a motor driven pump, a branched intake conduit leading to said pump, one branch of which communicates with the storage compartment, and the other branch of which is optionally connectable with a lubricant receiving compartment of an automobile or with a lubricant supply receptacle, a control valve interposed in said branched intake conduit for optionally connecting the pump with the storage compartment through the first of said branches, or with the lubricant receiving compartment of the automobile or the lubricant supply .receptacle through the second of said branches, a branched outlet conduit leading from said pump, one branch of which discharges into the lubricant receiving compartment of the automobile to be cleansed, and the other branch of which is disposed so as to optionally discharge into the lubricant receiving" compartment of an automobile or exteriorly of the latter as desired, a conduit connected to the first named branch of the outlet conduit for conducting air under pressure thereto so as to intermingle with and assist in the forcible discharge of the cleansing uid flowing from the pump into the automobile lubricant compartment to be cleansed, and a control valve interposed in said branched outlet conduit for optionally directing the flow of cleansing uid and air to the automobile lubricant compartment through the first-named branch of the outlet conduit or the flow of lubricant from the automobile compartment to the. exterior of the latter.

3. An automobile servicing system, including a cleansing fluid storage compartment, a motor driven pump, a branched intake conduit leading to saald pump, one branch of which communicates with the storage compartment, and the other branch of which is optionally connectable with a lubricant receiving compartment of an automobile or with a lubricant supply receptacle, a control valve interposed in said branched intake conduit for optionally connecting the pump withthe storage compartment through the first of said branches, or with the lubricant receiving compartment of the automobile or the lubricant supply receptacle through the second of said branches, a branched outlet conduit leading from said pump, one branch of which discharges lnt'o 

